German Cinema and the Nation's Past

Media have become extremely important channels for deploying ideologyamong viewers, readers and listeners worldwide. When film representshistory, it inevitably re-shapes, re-interpretes and re-creates history for itsaudiences. National cinemas addressing national history allow a glance ofthat nation's understanding of its past today. This study presents a detaileddiscussion of three nationally significant events in German history (WWII, the1954 Soccer World Cups, Germany's reunification 1989/1990). This is reflectedin The Downfall (2004), Sophie Scholl - The Last Days (2005), The Miracleof Bern (2003), Germany - A Summer Tale (2006), Berlin Blues (2003), SunAlly (1999) and The Life of Others (2006). They represent a sense and essenceof Germany, defining the country expressively as a nation and Germans asone people amidst European Union, Globalization, and the War on Terrorism.How do young German filmmakers investigate Germany's negative pastimagery? How was the self-perception of the nation informed in the past andwho regulates the imagery displayed now? Germany has begun constructionof an identity not founded on guilt, but it does not shy away from interrogatingthis guilt. This book is directed at researchers in Film, Media,Communications, History and studies addressing nationality and identity.